Animal Management Level 3 (Advanced Technical Diploma) (FAGR)

There’s a common saying that you should never work with animals. Try telling that to a Penguinologist…

Whether you’ve got a passion for your penguins, you’re crazy about your cats or you have an almost unhealthy love of llamas, working with animals could be the perfect career move for you. Key skills include being confident handling animals, patience, and a willingness to get your hands dirty. Being good at belly rubs and the ability to scratch behind ears are also desirable. Barnsley College has it’s very own farm! Set in the Worsbrough Country Park area of Barnsley, Wigfield Farm has three main functions:

• A working farm producing livestock
• A base for Barnsley College Land based courses
• An Open Farm and Visitors Centre accessible to the local and wider community

Although farm staff are employed, the day to day work of the farm is undertaken by students following one of our many programmes of study. This gives them a real working environment to develop their skills and knowledge. We have a wide range of animals including chickens, cows, donkeys, goats, guinea pigs, llamas, meerkats, pigs, rabbits, sheep, as well as a rodent room. Our students take a walk on the wild side in our exotics room where they care for and study a variety of reptiles. This course is ideal if you are interested in a career working with animals, introducing the main principles and practices of animal care and welfare.

Based at our Wigfield Farm campus, this two year study programme gives you the opportunity to study a range of specialist technical practical skills giving learners the knowledge that build upon the core skills required. Including how to work safely around animals, be responsible for the planning and carrying out animal health, husbandry, feeding and nutrition.

Course themes:

• Animal behaviour and communication
• Wildlife and ecology conservation
• Farm livestock husbandry and welfare
• Exotic animal health and husbandry
• Business management in the landbased sector
• Undertake estate skills
• Animal feeding and nutrition
• Biological systems of animals
• Animal welfare and breeding
• Wildlife management and rehabilitation
• Animal nursing
• Zoological collections

• Two externally set assignments
• Two externally set and marked exams, sat under examination conditions
• Internally set assignments
• A Portfolio of evidence

Five GCSEs at grade 4 or above including English, Maths and Science

(A study programme option is still available at Level 3 if you do not achieve a Grade 4 in Maths and science. This will be discussed with you at interview or enrolment)

There are several opportunities available, one of which is to carry on studying for a Foundation Degree in Animal Management or other animal related degree. Barnsley College Higher Education offers the following course: https://www.barnsley.ac.uk/course/animal-management-fdsc/

Beyond college, there are many opportunities such as RSPCA, veterinary nurse, customs dog handler, equine or stable work, animal behaviourist, zoo keeper or wildlife officer.